Mass Effect: Revenge
by darkevillord
Summary: What if Harbinger and Sovereign weren't the only unique Reapers? And what if these other Reapers could feel emotions such as hatred? The galaxy is about to discover the true demons that hide in the shadows.


**Author Notes: I had some free time and decided to post this chapter. An idea that has been in my head for a bit. Actually been in my head since before the extended cut was released. I decided to still write this but...don't expect updates anytime soon. Heck this chapter took years in the making. Anyway I'll read any reviews or suggestions you got. But as I said don't expect me to add or fix up this story any time soon.**

Chapter 1: The End?

Shepard's head hurt and he couldn't think clearly. He had to concentrate hard just to remember what had happened the last few minutes. He had made it to the beam and got onto the Citadel. He had met up with Anderson but they had both gotten ambushed by the Illusive Man. It was harrowing but Shepard had been able to convince the Illusive Man that he was indoctrinated. Once he had known he shot himself to free both Anderson and Shepard and they succeeded in opening the Citadel for the Crucible to dock. It becomes a blur a bit after that. But he does know that now he is in the heart of the Citadel. He remembers that he found out that the Catalyst is an AI that was built by the Leviathans. The AI was made to find a solution to a problem with organics and its solution was the Reapers. It said that with him there that its solution wouldn't work. But with the Crucible there were now new options. He could destroy all synthetics which would include the Reapers but also the Geth and EDI. He could control the Reapers by becoming one of them. Or he could add his energy to the Crucible and create synthesis between synthetics and organics. It was a tough choice to decide but in the end he decided to destroy all synthetics. He had nothing against the Geth, heck he was glad when the Geth and Quarians were now at peace and working together. And EDI was a proud member of his crew that he treated like the rest. But the existence of the Reapers was too big of a threat. While the Reapers were made of organic material they had shown that they were the more machine than any other synthetic. Where the Geth sought to understand the Reapers sought to control. Where EDI showed the ability to love the Reapers showed only cold calculation. While you could reason with synthetics you couldn't reason with a machine. The Reapers needed to go.

It was a troubling and aching journey but eventually Shepard made it to the machine that would end all synthetic life. All he had to do was destroy it and they would be no more. He slowly and painfully lifted his right arm holding the pistol at the machine. He was about to pull the trigger when suddenly his headache got worse. His vision started to blur and get hazy. His arm wavered side to side as he tried to concentrate. After some time it almost looked like he was seeing both the machine and the control panel that was in the room where he and Anderson got ambushed by the Illusive Man. But how could he be seeing two rooms. His headache got worse and worse as he tried to figure it out. He knew that meant that he needed to figure it out. It was hard but eventually he got it. 'I can see two rooms because one isn't real. I'm being indoctrinated.' He lowers his weapon and turns to look at the image of the AI. "Your trick isn't working Harbinger!"

It was Harbinger's voice that he heard come from the image. "Your resistance is admirable Shepard but still futile."

"When I'm this close to ending this war I don't think it is." Shepard raised his arm and pointed at the machine in front of him. "With the Crucible I will end the cycle once and for all!"

"The cycle will not end. You will simply delay it as you did before." Harbinger said in its usual tone.

Shepard simply shook his head. Even when so close to death it showed no fear. The Reapers truly were mere machines with no emotions. They needed to go. Shepard turned away and this time reached out with his empty hand. He could see the button he would need to press to activate the Crucible. The fake image still made up of most of his vision but he ignored it. Shepard's hand was almost on the button when he suddenly froze. His muscles wouldn't obey him. He tried to move but couldn't. The sensation he was feeling was the same as when he was being controlled by the Illusive Man. But he was dead and Shepard should have been the only person there.

"It would seem that your trick has failed Harbinger."

A Reaper voice but not like anything else he had heard before. It wasn't like the Reaper that had talked to him on Rannoch. It was unique like Sovereign's and Harbinger's. Was it doing this to him. But how could it?

"Your presence was not required or requested." Harbinger said with a slight tinge of annoyance, much to Shepard's surprise.

"With Shepard's proximity to activating the Crucible I will disagree. It would have been foolish not to intervene." the other voice also seemed annoyed.

'Infighting among Reapers? This is new.' thought Shepard as he suddenly found himself slowly turning back to Harbinger's image. He noticed though that his left hand was still trying to reach for the control. 'I still have some control. Their hold isn't as strong as before.' He was now able to see what was behind him. And what he saw shocked him.

The image Harbinger used to speak with Shepard was still there but now the Illusive Man stood beside it. Or what used to be the Illusive Man. The scarring he had seen on him earlier had gotten worse and now had red lighting instead of blue. What shocked him most was the eyes. They had completely changed, they now looked like serpent eyes. The Illusive Man, or his husk now, had a hand stretched out towards Shepard. Shepard noticed that there was still blood coming from the wound in its head and he felt the hold on him weakening bit by bit.

"My hold on this discarded pawn will not last long. Retreat to dark space before he activates the Crucible." the husk spoke.

"The device will not work. No other species have succeeded and neither will theirs." Harbinger replied back.

"This is not up for discussion!" shouted the husk as it looked at Harbinger's image. Shepard was surprised at that outburst. Even Harbinger itself looked shocked if that was possible. The husk continued with its regular tone. "Harbinger...you know what will happen if you are lost."

Harbinger simply stared at the husk in thought for a few minutes before nodding its head. "So be it. The cycle is only certain as long as I function. I will retreat to dark space. Farewell Shepard. If you succeed may you die quickly so as to avoid a painful existence later." Harbinger finished as it moved away and disappeared. The image that had been sent into Shepard's head now vanished completely. Now Shepard could clearly see that they were still in the control room of the Citadel. Shepard stared at the husk and it stared back. It was a few moments before it spoke.

"You have done well Shepard. None have ever made it this far. Nor has anyone been able to unite a galaxy against us. Due to your will and determination you were successfully able to bring down Sovereign, the Collector's and even two more Reapers. And due to your influence you brought the Leviathans out of hiding and take out yet another Reaper. You are a threat Shepard. One I attend to erase."

"Wouldn't Harbinger disagree with you? It semed like he wanted to turn me. Wouldn't it be considered a waste to simply dispose of me?" Shepard said.

"I'll admit that with your skills and experience a formidably powerful Reaper would have been created. But as your species has shown there are many individuals that show remarkable talent. The Reaper created from your species will be great no matter if you are part of it or not. If one must be lost to save an entire species then so be it."

This time it was Shepard's turn to shout. "Save us?! How is this saving us? All of your kind has stated that they do this to bring order. But all I've seen you do is bring chaos and destruction!"

The husk simply looked at Shepard as it stated. "Yet in the end we do bring order. Were it not for us then humanity and the batarians would still be fighting each other. The krogan's anger to the salarians and turians would build until another war broke out. And the war between the quarians and the geth would have ended in blood shed. You united the galaxy because we are your common enemy. But without us then the galaxy would have continued on as it did until every planet was soaked in blood. You may not agree with our solution Shepard but at the end of each cycle there is peace."

"There are other ways to achieve peace." Shepard knew it was futile. Even though it spoke differently then the other Reapers it still was a Reaper. It could not be reasoned with.

"There may be other ways...but with conflicted free will comes conflict. Organics will slaughter each other. Organics and synthetics will attempt to surpass one another any way they can. Sometimes even synthetics will have conflict among themselves. Our solution is the best solution. You may think you know Shepard but you lack true knowledge to judge our actions." the husk closes it's hand just as the Illusive Man had done earlier that had made Shepard shoot Anderson and Shepard found that his right arm started to bring the gun to his head.

"Damn it! I won't let you win!" Shepard shouts as he tries to resist the hold the husk had. As the pistol got closer to his head he moved his left arm closer and closer to the control panel.

"And I won't let you win." the husk stated and its eyes started to glow.

Now Shepard found that it got harder to move his left arm forward, it almost felt like it wanted to move back. He also found it difficult to move the pistol away from him. Every second brought the gun closer and closer. Shepard tried with all his might but he had no success. Eventually it was pointed directly at his temple. Shepard couldn't move it one inch and his left arm moved farther from the control panel.

"Goodbye Shepard." the husk said with a hint of a smile. A pulse came from its fist and Shepard felt his finger going to pull the trigger. He also felt that the hold on his left arm was gone. Within a blur a gunshot was heard and there was a second bullet hole in the husk while Shepard held the pistol with both hands. He didn't even wait for the husk to fall to the floor. He felt the hold gone and enough time had been wasted. The Crucible needed to be activated now! Shepard dropped the gun and quickly turned and pressed the button on the control panel. A pulse went through the entire Citadel then power started to build in the Crucible. Shepard sighed as he saw the energy readings started to increase. He took a few heavy breaths before looking back at the husk. This time it looked completely dead. He started to think about the Reaper that controlled it. How did it do that? How powerful was it? And what plans did it have? He wasn't able to think to much more as he was finally starting to suffer from all of the blood he had lost. His vision started to darken. The last thing he saw was the Crucible firing.

* * *

In the far reaches of dark space a large dark silhouette lay dormant until two lights on the front turned on. They looked like large serpent eyes. These eyes observed the galaxy as waves of energy started spreading through all of the mass relays. They watched until the entire galaxy had been hit by this energy. After a few moments observing it spoke as more lights. "You think you have won Shepard but now the real battle begins. If life is to survive then the cycle must continue. You will find that we are not like the others Shepard. And when this is over you will have wished that Harbinger had succeeded." When the Reaper was fully powered its true shape, almost looked like a giant squid without the fins on the sides, could be seen as it approached the galaxy. As it traveled a few more Reapers powered up outside the galaxy and made their way towards it. The galaxy would soon find out that not all Reapers were simply machines.


End file.
